It's hard to overstate how much my Whole30 so far has changed my view on food. I started out as the girl who thought she could never cut bread out of her diet - even for 30 days. At the beginning of my experience, I spent a little time on Pinterest looking up some motivational quotes. I wrote a bunch down, and have them posted around my office at work, and around the kitchen at home. I think the one that has had the biggest impact on me is this one:
It's just been so true for me, and I feel like this is really the heart of Whole30. Discipline is a huge factor when you make a decision to dramatically change the way you eat. For me, it was a pretty big lesson because I have always been an emotional eater. I would comfort myself when I was stressed or sad by eating a cookie, or some bread, and thinking "I'm going through something - I deserve this". That was a huge idea to overcome. Once I decided to do my Whole30, that was going to be the end of me having a stressful day at work, eating something I shouldn't to 'comfort' myself, and then ending up feeling even worse.
Sometimes what I want in the moment is a cookie. Or a big piece of crusty bread with a nice spreading of fresh Irish butter. But all it takes is that moment for me to stop, refocus myself, and think "this is not what I want most". What I want most is to be the healthiest version of myself. I have felt so incredible over the last 22 days, and I can't wait to see what the next few months bring.
My Favorite Things About My Whole30 (So Far...)
1) I had a few (okay...a lot) of pants hanging in my closet that I kept hanging onto because I was hoping I'd fit into them again someday.
2) My skin feels incredible! I should start by saying I've always tried to take very very good care of my skin (particularly my face), but cutting out processed foods, most carbs, and sugars has done amazing things for my skin and hair.
3) Sticking with it! I've never considered myself a real stick-with-it kind of person, and I really did think that my Whole30 was just going to be hard. I had to laugh, though, when I read on the Whole30 site that eating differently isn't hard. Beating a heroin addiction is hard. I can say no to a cookie, because let's face it, there are people out there going through much tougher stuff than just cutting out bad foods.
4) Learning. I haven't finished "It Starts With Food" yet, but I'm working on it. No pun intended, the book really gives you a lot to chew on. I was reading the chapter yesterday that talks about nut oils and how they can cause inflammatory issues with the digestive tract. It's really interesting stuff, and most of it is completely new (and fascinating) to me.
5) Cooking! I have loved to cook for years, this has just put a new perspective on it. It's definitely taken more planning, but in some ways it's been a fun challenge. At home on a Saturday, and not sure what to make for lunch? How throwing some kale and canned crab meat into the frying pan with a little Sriracha and coconut oil?
6) So much energy! Cutting out all non-Whole30 compliant foods has dramatically increased my energy levels. I've added a FitBit Flex to the mix, and it's really helped me get a sense of how I'm sleeping, how much activity I'm getting in during the day, and how my food intake balances out with my activity.
7) Sleep. I can't remember the last time I've consistently slept this well! My FitBit has helped me get a sense of my sleep habits, which helps me make adjustments in my day-to-day activities. For example, I didn't get much exercise yesterday (I tracked it on my FitBit) and slept terribly last night (also tracked on my FitBit). With more exercise under my belt today, and healthy amounts of good food and plenty of water, I'm expecting a pretty awesome night's sleep tonight!
8) Enjoying food in different ways. I've been taking the advice of the Whole30 meal planning guide and trying hard to really appreciate the food that I'm eating. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, that it is actually really refreshing to take a minute to realize how delicious portobello mushrooms are when they are sliced and sauteed in clarified butter and balsamic vinegar!
9) Hydration. It surprised me at first how thirsty I was in the first few days of my Whole30. I have been making a point to take in more water every day, and I think it's had a huge impact on how great I've been feeling.
10) Attitude is everything. It's so true! I have felt so much more positive and upbeat since I started my Whole30. As someone who used to feel totally at the mercy of stress and anxiety, it's been so much different for the past 22 days. This has easily been the most surprising and awesome thing to come out of my experience!
So what do you think.....have you been thinking about starting your own Whole30? I'll be starting day 1 of my second Whole30 on September 1st! Join me!
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